Restaurateur’s one-woman operation on track to success
NORWICH – For the last two years, The Caboose Restaurant has been serving homemade food for breakfast and lunch in a unique setting that keeps alive a reminiscence of the once-productive railways on East Main Street.
Kris Passafiume, owner of The Caboose, has been the sole cook, baker and waitress of the century-old boxcar diner since re-opening upon the departure of previous owner Millie Mercurio, who retired after 34 years in business.
“Business has been pretty good for me,” Passafiume said. “I have my own regular customers – some of them carried over from when Millie was here, but now, others are coming on a regular basis too.”
Passafiume has certainly made The Caboose her own, introducing home baked goods on a daily basis, offering new kinds of scones and muffins every morning and experimenting with new recipes that are sometimes made part of her daily menu by popular demand. It’s all part of keeping things new and exciting and maintaining the nostalgic atmosphere of a traditional diner where people can relax and enjoy the conversations, she said.
As someone who worked as a waitress in the restaurant business for 10 years, Passafiume knew she loved baking and cooking and wanted to own her own business. Buying The Caboose was a perfect opportunity for her, she said. While things have gone well so far, she noted that each day presents its own challenges.
“It really keeps things interesting. You never know what to expect,” she said. Being the only worker on hand, she added that the biggest challenge is “always being prepared whether one person walks in or 10.”
Like many local businesses, Passafiume is promoting her old-style eatery with 21st century technology, using Facebook to communicate with her “Caboose Friends” on a daily basis.
“It’s definitely something that’s been helping,” she said, adding that she is now up to 170 Facebook followers.
With a long year still ahead, Passafiume is planning for changes to come, including repairs to the boxcar’s cupola where a sign still reads Millie’s Diner. A new menu called “Reduce Your Caboose,” which offers healthier alternatives for customers, will also roll out by March.
Like any sensible business owner, Passafiume hopes to broaden her customer base this year and bring in enough business to hire help, but the diner’s charm, she said, will always be kept the same.
“This is such a unique place; I want to increase business but I don’t ever want to move out of here.”
The Caboose offers breakfast and lunch specials from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. Daily specials can be found on the diner’s Facebook page or by calling 316-8564.
Kris Passafiume, owner of The Caboose, has been the sole cook, baker and waitress of the century-old boxcar diner since re-opening upon the departure of previous owner Millie Mercurio, who retired after 34 years in business.
“Business has been pretty good for me,” Passafiume said. “I have my own regular customers – some of them carried over from when Millie was here, but now, others are coming on a regular basis too.”
Passafiume has certainly made The Caboose her own, introducing home baked goods on a daily basis, offering new kinds of scones and muffins every morning and experimenting with new recipes that are sometimes made part of her daily menu by popular demand. It’s all part of keeping things new and exciting and maintaining the nostalgic atmosphere of a traditional diner where people can relax and enjoy the conversations, she said.
As someone who worked as a waitress in the restaurant business for 10 years, Passafiume knew she loved baking and cooking and wanted to own her own business. Buying The Caboose was a perfect opportunity for her, she said. While things have gone well so far, she noted that each day presents its own challenges.
“It really keeps things interesting. You never know what to expect,” she said. Being the only worker on hand, she added that the biggest challenge is “always being prepared whether one person walks in or 10.”
Like many local businesses, Passafiume is promoting her old-style eatery with 21st century technology, using Facebook to communicate with her “Caboose Friends” on a daily basis.
“It’s definitely something that’s been helping,” she said, adding that she is now up to 170 Facebook followers.
With a long year still ahead, Passafiume is planning for changes to come, including repairs to the boxcar’s cupola where a sign still reads Millie’s Diner. A new menu called “Reduce Your Caboose,” which offers healthier alternatives for customers, will also roll out by March.
Like any sensible business owner, Passafiume hopes to broaden her customer base this year and bring in enough business to hire help, but the diner’s charm, she said, will always be kept the same.
“This is such a unique place; I want to increase business but I don’t ever want to move out of here.”
The Caboose offers breakfast and lunch specials from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. Daily specials can be found on the diner’s Facebook page or by calling 316-8564.
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